The Elephant in the Room
by breaktherules
Summary: A painful incident in the past causes Kirika to try to deal with the situation a year later. Mireille/Kirika.


Disclaimer- I do not own NOIR. This story takes place a year after the series ends. SPOILERS are in this story so beware if you have not seen the whole series yet. I hope there are still some fans out there and that you enjoy this contribution to the fandom. Let me know what you think.

**The Elephant in the Room**

Kirika opened her eyes and blinked against the sun that shone in from the apartment window. The Japanese girl turned over and smiled just the barest smile. She reached over to stroke a piece of pale blonde hair from a beautiful pale-skinned woman that was sleeping soundly next to her in the small bed.

The hypnotic spells, drugs and brainwashing that Athena had given Kirika to control her and make her the perfect assassin had finally worn off. She still had her perfect reflexes and skills since she had begun training as soon as she could walk, but she could feel things again.

This change was wonderful when it came to noticing her ability to paint and work as a normal girl in an art store. Mireille had been home-schooled by her uncle and now was trying her best to do the same for Kirika. She was still too worried about the Soldats next move to let the Japanese girl attend high school. The art store she worked at was by somebody they trusted. Kirika had almost demanded that she work there….she **never** would have done that if normal feelings had not returned to her.

Of course, there was a bad side to feelings- she constantly thought of those she killed or had died because of her. She knew had killed so many and that she did not deserve to live. She became so down when she thought of these terrible things.

Kirika pulled the bedcovers over her face to block out the sun because she felt that same sadness descend upon her.

-]

Mireille slid out of bed and reached for her pale blue robe. She looked down at Kirika who had the sheets pulled over her face. The Corsican woman immediately felt worried that something was wrong.

Gently she shook Kirika until she pulled the blankets from her face and looked up at her sleepily.

"Morning Mireyu" the Japanese girl said in her quiet way.

"Good morning," Mireille responded, reaching out to ruffle the short dark hair. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"I….think I'm going to sleep for awhile longer," Kirika said, but Mireille could hear the heaviness in her partners voice.

The blonde-woman sat back down on the bed and ran her hand down the Japanese girls smooth cheek "What's wrong Kirika?" she asked softly.

"I don't know….I just feel very sad today." she answered.

Mireille looked over at the calendar hanging on the wall across from the bed. It had a year and Kirika had been withdrawn and sad when it happened and that's when she had been under Athena's brainwashing.

Now she had normal feelings…so the pain must be incredible.

Mireille turned to face Kirika. "Do you know what day it is today?" she asked slowly, her hand smoothing back the Japanese girl's black hair.

"Milosh died on this date last year because of **me**," Kirika whispered.

Mireille slid under the blankets to embrace her. "I'm so sorry that he died and that you are having trouble with the memory of his death."

Kirika melted into the Corsican woman's arms. "Why do good people die?" she whispered, tears in her tone. "He was my friend and he was killed because of me."

"Shhh, shh," Mireille soothed, as she rocked a crying Kirika in her arms. "Death of a loved one is hard on any body who can love. I had to kill my only living relative or he was going to kill me. In reality neither of us wanted to kill the other, but the Soldats thought it was fun to pit niece and uncle against each other." the blonde woman spoke very slowly as if trying to hold the tears back.

"It's okay to cry, Mireyu." Kirika said softly.

Mireille smiled. "You have changed so much this year, Kirika." she said proudly.

"Do you not like it?" the Japanese girl asked, wondering if perhaps Mireyu preferred her as she was as the 'old' Kirika Yuumura.

"I love all your changes, it's so nice to know you are enjoying yourself and truly living now. You are not in a trance or have amnesia….though I know we still have many questions about your heritage. We will find out those answers together, I promise." Mireille said, looking into the deep, dark eyes of Kirika's.

Suddenly, Kirika thought of the little blonde girl clutching a teddy bear on her way to their piazza where she would discover the dead bodies of her family. She remembered the way the little girl had screamed. The sound reasonated in her mind even now.

Kirika sat up and turned away at the memory.

"Wha..?" Mireille gasped, and slid over to her. "What is it?"

The Japanese girl turned to face her. Mireille noticed her cheeks were wet. "How can you love me, Mireyu? How can you when you know I murdered your family?" Kirika cried out to the Corsican woman.

"We've been over this elephant in the room many times, Kirika. I BLAME Athena- she was the crazy woman who thought it would be fun to turn little children into perfect assassins for her personal gain. You had **no **control in it and neither did Chloe, for that matter," Mireille said firmly. She hugged the younger woman tightly to show how much she loved and forgave her.

"I suppose you are right….but ..." Kirika began.

"I'm the one who chose to be a killer. I could have ran away from Uncle Claude and found some way to live without killing people, but I did not. And I cannot claim hypnosis, brainwashing, or drugs for my choice either. But life dealt us these hands and we just have to do our best to get through each day and seek the light instead of the dark." Mireille said, as she pulled Kirika in for a kiss.

As soon as her lips had parted Mireille's...Kirika just wanted **more.**

The blonde woman smiled at her. "Now would you like some tea?" she asked cheerfully.

"I'd rather have something else, Mireyu," Kirika said and pushed the surprised older woman back on the bed.

-]

Kirika thought that sex with Mireyu was indescribable now that she could finally feel every thing that her lover did to her. She could not get enough of the warm, soft, velvet-like blonde.

She flipped her Corsican lover over and climbed on top of her.

Mireille looked up at her. "Are you feeling better now, Kirika?" she purred, and then jerked as her young lover rubbed against her.

"Ahh!" Mireille gasped.

Feelings were a wonderful thing.

END…..for now?

A/N- I cut a lot of my original version because I was trying to make this story enjoyable. Kirika calls Mireille the Japanese version of her name- Mireyu in this story. I also have beliefs of how Athena controlled Kirika and Chloe that you may not share.

Anyway, I hope some Noir fans are still around and liked this. I still plan to update my older Noir stories if the writing bug stays with me so please review.


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